User blog:Cfp3157/Film Review: Violence and Comedy Make "The Sisters Brothers" a Thrilling Ride
The American debut of acclaimed French director Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers is an enjoyable and vivacious romp of an old school Western flipped on its head. A pair of thrilling performances by Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly truly help bolster a good film to a great one, with their commitment and dedication both to their own characters and their duo being beyond skillful rendition. Unfortunately, the film does have very noticeable flaws that will make it difficult to breach out to general audiences, but they're limited both in quantity and severity. The Cast Only four men are present in The Sisters Brothers, but they all deliver some very good work to add onto their resumes. Jake Gyllenhaal is given the smallest role in the film, and he does an adequate job with his pretentious and intellectual lawman. He doesn't quite nail the accent, nor does he get to show his acting chops or stretch his muscles, but Gyllenhaal takes a thankless role and elevates it. Riz Ahmed, meanwhile, plays a wily and innovative optimist, who debates philosophy and ethics with Gyllenhaal to an astounding level of guile. Co-anchoring the film is John C. Reilly, whose introspective and sympathetic performance makes for the film's moral heart. While Reilly maintains his trademark humor and wit to the roles that have littered his career, where he shines is towards the film's ending. While he seeks to finally abandon the long and violent career of his character, he wears his feelings on his shoulder and feels them strongly, making him the well from which the audience finds a respite. In a long and varied career, Joaquin Phoenix has delivered what is easily his most enjoyable and entertaining performance. The louder and more volatile of the two Sisters Brothers, Phoenix's echoing of a violent man makes for a sheer spectacle that will immediately draw viewers into his vortex. Furthermore, unlike Reilly's more expressive sensitivity, Phoenix's vulnerability is subtle, and his silences often mean as much as his drunken outbursts or bloodthirsty movements. Score: 4.5 out of 5 The Story A film that's at its best when it's spending time focusing on the violent and vulnerable relationship between its two leads, and its pacing unfortunately distracts from that on a couple occasions. Although the set-up for the relationship between the bounty target and bounty hunter is nice, it often feels bloated and unnecessary. The dynamic and focuses on relationships and connection is fantastic, with incredibly authentic and engaging dialogue coupled with fascinating characters, but the story tends to slow down and pick back up at odd degrees during the first half. Penned by director Jacques Audiard alongside Thomas Bidegain, the tale of the Sisters Brothers is one of two hitmen, Eli and Charlie Sister, as they hunt down a new target for their mysterious employer The Commodore. The target is Hermann Warm, a prospector who has discovered a new chemical process that will make extracting gold easier, and their former partner turned bodyguard John Morris. As the mission grows longer and more complex, Eli begins to consider a domestic life, driving a wedge between the two men that were born, bred, and thrived in violence. Audiard and Bidgeain tackle several interesting ideas, and it is a worthy story in how it tackles genre conventions and flips them on their heads. There are musings about philosophy and life, only to be stifled by wit, violence, and a knowing amount of satire. Although a conversation or two from Warm and Morris gets far too high minded for the tone of the film, the debates between the Sisters Brothers are consistently engaging and entertaining enough to make up for it. Score: 4 out of 5 The Direction Despite misgivings about Audiard as a writer, the French man clearly has vision and talent as a director. His style bleeds into the film, filling it with a knowing amount of violence and visceral action that keeps it moving quickly. Audiard also shows a penchant both for physical comedy, with Joaquin Phoenix making the best use of a coonskin hat in film period, and raw violence, where shootouts are not glorified but instead bare knuckle and brutal. On his crafts team, a special shoutout goes to his costume designer Milena Canonero, who vibrantly recreates the mid-1800's with fluid and character-focused costuming. This is further aided by sharp editing from Juliette Welfing and makeup head Luigi Rochetti, who make the inherent gore and brutality of the film stick out in a positive, entertaining way. Finally, Benoit Debie shoots the film efficiently and effectively, where the darkness often makes for enticing moments and the light capturing the lives of the Sisters Brothers with deft skill. There are a couple shots that feel more panoramic and showy by nature, but they're still beautiful to absorb regardless. That mostly lies with Welfing as editor, who puts moments that don't feel necessary disrupting the core narrative and slowing the momentum down. Score: 4 out of 5 Final Verdict Engrossing and vibrant to a fault, The Sister Brothers makes for an absolute blast at the theaters. Joaquin Phoenix makes for a phenomenal lead character as he lets loose all of his best quirks and talents, while Reilly and Ahmed keep up with gusto. Audiard's direction is powerful and entertaining, with a crafts team that effortlessly brings his aesthetic to life. With people both in front of and behind the camera that are delivering on all cylinders, they more than compensate for a script that is as ambitious but not as successful. Score: 83% Potential Ballot Spots: *Best Lead Actor - Joaquin Phoenix *Best Lead Actor - John C. Reilly (in a weaker year) *Best Supporting Actor - Riz Ahmed *Best Costume Design *Best Makeup & Hairstyling Category:Blog posts Category:Reviews Category:2018 Reviews